Presented by the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame
The Sixers tip off tonight, and LeBron James makes his much-anticipated Sixers debut. Can the Sixers spoil the Knicks’ championship banner-raising ceremony? Let’s hope so. Don’t look now, but the Flyers have won two in a row.
October 20 has seen some Flyers and Phillies milestones, a wild World Series game, and a franchise-changing move for the Sixers.
On the Brink
On this day in 1910, the Philadelphia Athletics took a commanding three-games-to-none lead over the Chicago Cubs in the World Series with a 12-5 victory.
The Doctor is In
On this day in 1976, the Sixers franchise changed forever when they acquired Julius “Dr. J” Erving from the New York Nets.
The Nets were strapped for cash and struggling to come up with the money needed to join the NBA. They owed a $3.2 million entry fee to the league and a $4.8 million territorial fee to the Knicks. Their biggest asset was Dr. J, and the Sixers came to the rescue.
Philadelphia paid the Nets $3 million for Erving’s rights and covered the $3 million NBA entry fee. The newspapers dubbed Dr. J “the $6 million man,” a nickname that helps explain why he wore No. 6 in Philadelphia.
The deal worked out for both franchises. Dr. J helped lead the Sixers to an NBA championship in 1983, while the Nets secured their place in the NBA.
Milestones on the Ice
October 20 was a day of milestones for the Flyers.
First, in 1977, Bernie Parent earned his 44th career shutout while Bobby Clarke led all scorers with a goal and three assists in the Flyers’ 11-0 pounding of the Penguins.
Then, in 1979, the Flyers beat the Red Wings 7-3 in Detroit for the third game of their historic 35-game unbeaten streak. Reggie Leach scored twice, surpassing 200 career goals, while rookie Brian Propp also scored twice and added two assists.
Tough Loss
On this day in 1993, the Phillies were looking to even the World Series at two games apiece as they returned to Veterans Stadium. The night turned into one of the wildest games in baseball history.
Played in a steady, light mist with brisk temperatures and an eerie, rolling fog, the game had an almost surreal atmosphere. The turf was soaked, making it difficult for fielders to grip and throw the ball.
The Phillies’ bats certainly weren’t the problem. Lenny Dykstra hit two home runs, and Darren Daulton added another. The pitching, however, was a different story.
The Phillies blew leads of 6-3, 12-7, and 14-9. After surrendering six runs in the eighth inning, they found themselves trailing 15-14. Unfortunately, that score held up, leaving the Phillies with a heartbreaking loss.
The game remains the highest-scoring contest in World Series history, and the 14 runs scored by the losing Phillies are still the most ever by a losing team in a World Series game.
There were plenty of questions about manager Jim Fregosi’s decisions, including pulling Larry Andersen and trusting an exhausted Mitch Williams to get a four-out save. Fregosi stuck with the players who had gotten the team that far.
Another Schwarbomb
On this day in 2023 Kyle Schwarber homered for his 19th postseason homerun, breaking Reggie Jackson’s mark for a left-hander. Unfortuantely it wasn’t enough as the Phillies lost their second straight one-run game 6-5 allowing the Diamondbacks to even the NLCS at two games apiece.
Trivia – Who holds the MLB postseason record for career homeruns? (Answer below)
Trivia Answer – Manny Ramirez has 29 career homeruns.
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